Like CrossFit, but with endurance emphasized

Instructor: Michelle Chinatti was a competitive ballerina until a series of injuries brought an end to her dancing career. She then refocused on group fitness and personal training and is certified through the American Council of Exercise. She is currently a fitness director at the Boulder Country Club and teaches at Moov, because she loves the community.

What is the workout? A CrossFit-esque class that leaves out the barbell exercises and focuses on endurance. The class began with some simple warm-up exercises that used body weight and yoga to get the muscles warm. The rest of the class was dedicated to a circuit workout punctuated with periods of rest between each exercise. Chinatti walked us through each of the exercises before we began. Once the countdown started, we tried to complete as many rounds as possible before our time was up.

According to Chinatti, "It puts people under a reasonable amount of load, meaning weight, and kind of pushing them out of their comfort zone." The class gets people to try different things and work on endurance.

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The circuit included cardio, core strength, kettle bell exercises and rope climbs. "It's constantly varying, so it's never like you're going to come in and do the same three stations or the same three exercises. Every time you come in it's going to be something very, very different," said Chinatti.

Instructor Michelle Chinatti demonstrates the proper form for a V-up at the METCON class. (Paul Aiken / Staff Photographer)

What's different? The structure is similar to a CrossFit class. Exercises are grouped into circuits with both strength training and cardio workouts. The name of the class, METCON, is short for metabolic conditioning, which is the endurance aspect of CrossFit. "They don't necessarily follow the three cycles you see in a CrossFit class, which are endurance, strength and stamina. They tend to be a little bit more on the endurance side with some strength thrown in," said Chinatti.

The strength training was toned down by taking out the barbell exercises, but it was still very present with the use of kettle bells, rope climbs and jumping lunges. It felt like a combination of a group fitness class and a CrossFit primer. The classes, "are a little more endurance focused, to kind of work on the metabolic conditioning. They tend to be a little longer," and not quite as heavy on the weights as you would see in a CrossFit class, said Chinatti.

Cost: The studio offers an unlimited pass for $179 a month or thirteen classes a month for $139. It also offers a 10-class punch card for $169.

Level: Beginner through advanced. "We can really scale anything, modify for injuries and scale for ability," said Chinatti. By taking out some of the more technical moves that use the barbell, this class is accessible to anyone who might be intimidated by CrossFit. Like with many weight training exercises, it's not the best choice for an older demographic or anyone who can't handle higher impact workouts.

What to prepare: Workout clothes, athletic shoes and water. I'd also suggest a pair of long socks or shin guards in case there is any rope climbing.

Muscles worked: My heart rate was up and I was breathing hard throughout the circuit training portion of the class. I really felt this in my shoulders and arms the next day.

What I loved: All of the students were very supportive and friendly. They have a great community, and people really seemed to enjoy themselves no matter how hard they were pushing themselves.

What I didn't like: I managed to get a wicked rope burn on my ankle during the rope climb. Afterwards, I realized why people were putting on shin guards or long socks. The class was pretty full and as a new student I felt a bit lost in the hubbub. It was easy to overlook bad form by a newbie like myself.

How I felt after the class: I left feeling like I not only got a cardio workout done in an hour, but also strength training. I could go home and decimate the last of the chocolate chip cookies with no remorse.

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